Search Results: Occultism from Robert McDowell Antiquarian Books

Amsterdam: Gerardus Brostius, 1696. Second Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. 4to pp. [16], 492. Includes extra engraved title page. Library stamp on main title accompanied by a second perforated library stamp near the printer's device. The outer edges to the first few prelims are slightly worn. Pages are generally clean with occasional mild marginal spotting. A small piece is missing from bottom margin of the final leaf. Page 492 is a bit soiled. Bound in brown library buckram; title and shelf number in gilt on the spine; pocket on inside front cover. Hermann Witsius (1636-1708) was a Dutch theologian and a professor of divinity at Franeker (1675), Utrecht (1680), and Leiden (1698). [EB11]. His Aegyptiaca (first printed in 1683) compares the religious rites of the Jews and the Egyptians. He argues against the theory put forth by Sir John Marsham and by John Spencer that Jewish traditions were derived from Egyptian practices. This second edition has been expanded from the first.… Read More

New York: Fowlers and Wells, 1851. First Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. 4to or small folio size. Volumes XIII-XIV. And Volume XV, No. I. (The complete year of 1851 plus one extra issue - January 1852). Volume XIII (Jan. - Jun.) pp. iv, 144. Volume XIV (Jul. - Dec.) pp. 140. Volume XV, No. I, pp. 24.With many wood engraved illustrations. Bound in quarter sheep with marbled boards. Spine and covers are well rubbed and worn. Outer hinges and head caps are professionally restored; board corner tips are neatly repaired. Interior is foxed. Owner's name is written in an old hand in the margins of several pages. Upper marginal corners are chipped on pp. 41-44 (Vol. XIV, No. II). The journal describes itself as "devoted to phrenology, physiology, magnetism, education, mechanism, agriculture, and to all those progressive measures which are calculated to reform, elevate, and improve mankind." Contains columns on a variety of subjects - human and animal phrenology, book reviews, mechanics… Read More

London: George Routledge & Sons, 1931. First Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. Large 4to. pp. [6], 752. Bound in green cloth. Some rubbing and light bumping to extremities; a couple small spots of discoloration visible; a smudge line is present on the outer edge of the book block. Front free end paper and half title are creased as is p. 749. Interior is otherwise clean. A bibliography of historical, sociological, anthropological, religious, etc. works relating to sex rites and customs. About 9,000 items are listed – mostly printed in the 18th, 19th and early 20th century but a number of earlier imprints are catalogued as well. Entries include title, imprint, pagination and often include notes concerning the content.

New York: Philosophical Library, 1956. 1st Edition . Hardcover. See Description/Dust Jacket Included. 8vo. (21.5 cm), pp. viii. [2], 105, [1]. The binding and the dust jacket show minor wear to the extremities. A small tear (1 cm) is present on the upper edge of the rear jacket. The bottom corner edge of the rear board contains a (12 x 3 mm) chip in the cloth. Pages are clean and unmarked. This work appeared in at least two different versions (both with the copyright 1956). One version, (offered here) is titled "Dictionary of Magic." The other version, titled "Dictionary of the Occult," is printed in smaller dimensions, on lower quality paper, and it does not contain a preface and a bibliography. Not apparent which printing came first. Harry E. Wedeck (1894-1996), was a Latin teacher, also fluent in French, who published several popular dictionaries on occult and other subjects.

Monaco: Collection la Lanterne d’Hermes les Documents d’Art, 1950. First Edition. . Wraps. See Description. Tall 8vo. pp. 489, [3]. Including illustrations with the text. Bound in original pale orange-tan publisher’s wraps. Some rubbing, wear and fading present to the extremities; bottom corner is a bit bumped. Leaves are uncut. Generally a solid copy of this French occult dictionary / encyclopedia. The text contains woodcut style illustrations depicting demons, tarot cards, occult symbols etc. Introduction by "Docteur Roger Fretigny.

Reading: Gedruckt fur Charles M’Williams, 1820. Hardcover. See Description. First American Edition. 12mo. 142p. With a dramatic woodcut frontispiece depicting the Anti-Christ as a seven headed dragon. Re-bound in quarter calf with marbled boards preserving the original calf spine. Title page shows age-toning, soiling and staining; a small darker spot of staining is present near the upper corner. The inside margin of the frontispiece is carefully restored with some spots of loss to the inner black border-line of the illustration. End papers are stained; notations in an early hand are scrawled on the front free end paper. Interior pages contain light age toning, scattered marginal foxing, soiling and wear. A German mystic named Christian Armbruster penned this apocalyptic work (first published in Germany in either 1813 or 1814). The author predicts the immanent end of days by comparing current events at that time – i.e. the rise of the Emperor Napoleon – to the prophecies in the Book of… Read More

New York: Pyramid Books 1962 / 1963, 1962. First Edition. . Paperback. See Description. Two paperback edition books by Susy Smith: (Pyramid Books X-776) "ESP" contains chapters on "what is extrasensory perception?", "Who has ESP?", "The history of ESP", "Does ESP occur spontaneously?", "The problem of mediumship", etc. (Pyramid Books R-871) "World of the strange" includes sections on ghosts, witchcraft, magic, miracles, etc. Both are first Pyramid paperback printings. …Tight, clean, near fine copies with some fading to the top of the text block miniscule signs of wear.

Athens: Vivliotheke Philellenon, 1950. First Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. First Edition. Small 4to. pp. 275, [5]. Occasional illustrations with the text. Bound in dark blue publisher’s cloth with Egyptian sphinx and title on the front cover. Upper corner tip of the front board is bumped as is the outer edge of the rear board. The dust jacket shows areas of rubbing, light soiling and edge wear; some chipping is present to the head cap and the corners of the jacket. Pages are clean, but with occasional spots of poor or faulty print quality. An encyclopedia of occultism in modern Greek.

Berlin: Julius Springer, 1919. First Edition. . Wraps. See Description. Tall 8vo. pp. XVI, 742, [2]. Bound in original wraps; uncut and untrimmed. Pages are clean. Some wear to extremities of wraps. A small tear on front wrap near the hinge is carefully sealed. Crease on bottom corner of the last few leaves. This volume covers the history of alchemy in late antiquity including the Greek and Graeco-Egyptian alchemical texts which appeared under the names of Hermes, Democritus, Zosimus etc. Lippmann published a 2nd volume of alchemical history in 1931 and a 3rd volume in 1954 (neither are present here). [Duveen, p. 363; Waller 15596].

London: J. Hatchard and Son, 1830. First Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. First Edition. 8vo. pp. xvi, 430, [2]. Bound in original quarter gray cloth and paper boards. Re-backed preserving the original spine. Paper boards are rubbed, discolored and aged. Board corners are carefully repaired/strengthened. Interior contains scattered foxing and splotching; some leaves possess a rough or chipped marginal edge (due to careless opening); outer marginal tearing is neatly and professionally sealed on several leaves; pages 1 and 413 display a light corner crease or stress mark. Crabtree states that this is "A little known work of real significance for the history of both animal magnetism and of physical research. Newnham wrote the book under the patronage of the Bishop of Winchester and it was clearly an attempt to use physiological and psychological terms to explain supernatural or supernormal phenomena which embarrass the Church… Newnham’s chapters on sleep, dreams and somnambulism… Read More

Boston & Cambridge, London: James Munroe and Co. / Edward T. Whitfield. Hardcover. See Description. 8vo. Two parts in one. Part I. pp. 251, [1]. Part II. vii, [1], 121, [1]. Part II has a separate title page dated 1850. Bound in half brown morocco with gilt stamped spine and marbled boards. Minor wear to extremities. Interior is generally clean with occasional spots of mild marginal foxing; title page contains some foxing and a name written in a faded old hand on the upper portion; crease on page 91-92. James Stanley Grimes was one of the most important American writers on animal magnetism. Grimes maintained that the effects of mind on matter and of mind upon mind occurred through a medium he called the 'etherium.' "The study of the way in which the etherium conveys impressions from one mind to another and the way in which these impressions are channeled through the physical organism, he calls 'etherology.'" [See Crabtree]. Grimes' "Etherology" was first… Read More

New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971. First American edition. . Paperback. See Description. 18.5 cm. 64p. Bound in illustrated stiff paper wraps. Generally a fresh and clean copy with only some very miniscule spots of wear. Interior pages are clean. Includes chapters on "the structure of the aura", "the circuit of force", "developing auric sight", etc. British occultist W.E. Butler founded the Servants of Light school. He was associated with Dion Fortune’s Society of the Inner Light and with Gareth Knight.

New York: Ace Books [ 1960's ], 1960. Paperback. See Description. 2 vintage paperbacks. "Impossible yet it happened (Ace Star F-137) copyright 1947, but printed later (c. late 1950’s – early 60’s). Stranger than life (Ace Star K-168) copyright 1955, but perhaps printed a bit later. Minor rubbing and wear. Vg+ Both books recount various strange events and occult phenomena with chapters on ghosts, reincarnation, flying saucers, psychic healing, vanished continents, etc.

Paris: Editions Niclaus, [ c. 1937 ]. Wraps. Fifth edition (of the 1902 version). Tall 8vo. (25 cm). pp. vi, 345, [5]. With diagrams. Bound in original wraps with some fading, wear and bumping to extremities. Interior pages are yellowed-tanned and a bit delicate due to the paper quality. Many leaves are unopened. Periodic small marginal tears are present. Gerard Encausse’s “La Kabbale” was first published in 1892. A second and considerably augmented edition appeared in 1902 with the spelling of the title changed to “La Cabbale.” The work is a synthesis of mystical-numerical elements taken from Jewish Kabbalah, Christian Cabbala and Greek philosophy as well as from the western esoteric tradition in general. Opinions of 19th century occultists such as Eliphas Levi, Stanislas de Guaita, Paul Lenain, Sedir and Marc Haven are woven into the mix. A French version of the early Jewish mystical text “Sepher Yetzirah” is also included.

Paris: Francois Clovsier, 1667. Second Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. 8vo. pp. [8], 212. With 90 engraved plates most of which contain 16 palmistry figures. Several plates contain a whole palm illustrated. Bound in full period calf; re-backed preserving original gilt spine. Boards show rubbing and wear; board corners are neatly restored. Top edge of book block is a bit rubbed. Interior contains some marginal soiling and foxing; several areas of marginal worming and worm tracks are present in the upper and lower margins (interrupting the running title on a couple of pages). The upper portion of the book also contains some damp staining which is generally mild. A tear, part way across one plate, is professionally sealed and hardly noticeable. Some plates contain light printer’s smudging. This treatise, first printed in 1665, has been called one of the most comprehensive 17th century books on palmistry. [Cette ouvrage, l’un des meilleurs traités de chiromancie du XVIIe… Read More

Paris: Desenne, Volland, Plassan, 1792. Hardcover. See Description. New and corrected edition [First edition printed in France]. 8vo. pp. xvi, 295, [1]. With plate depicting the ruins of Palmyra and 2 fold out plates illustrating 1.) the eastern hemisphere and 2.) the astrological constellations ( ceil astrologique des anciens). Bound in original pink paste paper boards - some wear to the outer hinges and extremities. Pages are clean; occasional speck of marginal foxing. Volney's book of meditations on the rise and fall of empires was influential on the Romantic movement and on the Hudson River school of painting. Chapters also discuss ancient religions and mysticism.

A Lyons: chez les Heritiers de Beringos fraters, a l’enseigne d’Agrippa, 1791. Stiff Wraps. See Description. Probably dates to late 18th – early 19th century. 16mo. pp. [20], 252, [10]. With frontispiece engraving and 4 full page wood cuts. Bound in modern stiff paper wraps. Text block is untrimmed. Interior pages contain occasional mild spotting, soiling and wear. Half-title is age-toned. A long strip is excised / torn-out of the outer margin on p. 221, running right up to the edge of the text, and obscuring a few letters; a piece is also torn from the bottom corner of p. 227 obstructing the last words in a couple of text lines. Some very miniscule holes on pp. 245/246 partially obstruct a couple of letters. There are several versions of "Les admirables secrets" with the date 1791, each with differences and with a different pagination (see WorldCat). The copy here offered is not the edition listed in Caillet and Dorbon-Ainé with the false 1791 date (attributed to… Read More

Paris: Albin Michel [c. 1900 - 1919 ], 1900. Wraps. See Description. Small 8vo. 48p. Bound in original publisher’s paper wraps. Some rubbing and wear present to the wraps and extremities. Pages are age-toned due to the quality of the paper, but not overly brittle. An ownership stamp is present on the half title. The bottom corner tips of the last four leaves and the rear wrap are chipped. .A small treatise on cryptography or secret codes. Includes some depictions of charts or grids.

Paris: A la Librairie Illustrée [c. 1887 - 1907 ], 1887. Wraps. See Description. 8vo. pp. [4], 308. Bound in original color illustrated publisher’s wraps depicting a man hypnotizing a woman. The same image is present in black and white on the title page. Head and tail caps are professionally repaired. The wraps show wear to the extremities as well as some age-toning, soiling, spotting, mild edge chipping etc. The text block is loosely sewn with a single stitch through each gathering. Interior pages contain periodic spots of marginal foxing. A few minor marginal tears are neatly sealed. The upper edge of page 69 is chipped (1 x 0.5 cm). According to Crabtree this work is "a critical evaluation of the nature of hypnotism and somnambulism. The author sees imagination as the central element," (Crabtree, p. 276). Chapter XI discusses modern witchcraft – "diatribe contre le livre préceédent, de Charles Richet," (Yve-Plessis). This is possibly the second… Read More

Boston: T.R. Marvin, 1828. 1st Edition . Hardcover. See Description. 8vo. 156p. Bound in original quarter gray-brown cloth with paper boards and paper spine label. Spine head cap neatly restored. Boards contain some rubbing and wear. A name is printed in an early hand on the front free fly-leaf. Interior pages are generally clean. Corner crease is present on p. 123. Canonicus is the pseudonym of William Shedd (1797-1830), a New England evangelist preacher who was minister for one year at Abington Ma. His "Letters", addressed to William E. Channing (1780-1842), the influential Boston Unitarian preacher, were written in opposition to Unitarian tendencies to deny the agency and personal existence of the devil and his angels. The author, with the use of Biblical scripture argues for the existence of Satan and of fallen spirits.